Elevating apparatus



Dec. 5, 1939. L. w. FERRIS 2,181,881

ELEVATING APPARATUS I File d Oct. 10. 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 LAURENCE W FERe/s MN mm 7 MN MN m mu J W1 3 W owl o MN m Q If 1 Z Om .WN I M K i N QR Dec. 5, 1939. L. w. FERRIS ELEVATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR LAURENCE 14 FERR/s W #42- ATTORNEY 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 v INVENTOR BY LAURENCE M FEM/s ATTORNEY L W. F ERRIS ELEVATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1938 Dec. 5, 1939.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR LAURENCE W, ERR/s ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention relates to elevating apparatus and it has a particular relation to apparatus for raising and lowering aircraft between the flight deck and hangar deck of an aircraft carrying vessel.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of an elevating apparatus of the character described by means of which an airplane can be transferred between the hangar and flight decks at the sides or stem of the ship without the necessity of providing holes in the deck where the space is required for runway or launching purposes and without cutting away the deck, thereby impairing the strength of the structure.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an elevating apparatus which is located entirely on the hangar deck and can be retracted or withdrawn so as not to interfere with the take-01f or landing of airplanes on the flight deck.

With these and other objects in view, as well as other advantages that may be incident to the use of the improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements constituting the same may be varied in proportion and arrangement without departing from the nature and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood, there are shown in the accompanying drawings, means for carrying the invention into practical use, without limiting the improvementsin their useful application to the particular construction, which, for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an elevating apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention and particularly adapted for use at the stern of a vessel, the apparatus being shown in full lines in its lowered position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus in its elevated position;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of another form of elevating apparatus adapted for use at the side of a vessel;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the upper elevating ram;

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the ram shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is an elevational view, looking inboard, of the structure shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, an improved elevating apparatus particularly designed for use at the l stern of an aircraft carrying vessel is shown as comprising a platform l0 adapted to support the landing gear ll of an airplane I2 and an extension l3 for supporting the tail skid l4 thereof. The extension I3 is provided on each side with 10 catwalks for use by men loading and unloading the airplane onto and from the elevating apparatus and both platform and catwalks are provided with a hand railing IS.

The platform I0 is provided with bearings I! 15 which are rotatably mounted on the transverse portion 18 of a swinging support IS, the vertical portions or legs 20 of which are pivotally mounted on uprights or columns 2| carried by the hangar deck 22 of the vessel and supporting the flight 20 deck 23 thereof.

The platform l0 and extension l3 are raised and lowered between the hangar deck and the flight deck in order to transfer an airplane between said decks, by means of a pair of parallel 25 links 24, adjacent ends of which are pivotally connected, as at 25, to the platform Ill and the opposite ends of which are pivotally connected, as at 26, to a carriage 21. The links 24 are of' approximately equal length and the pivotal points 80 26 are about the same distance apart as the pivotal points 25, so that the structure will move in parallelism or nearly so. The carriage 21 is provided with wheels 28 for rolling engagement with horizontally extending rails 29 and is driven by 85 means of a reversible motor 30 carried thereby and gearing 3| which meshes with a rack 32 disposed between the rails 29 and paralleling the same.

The flight deck 23 is normally provided with a downwardly inclined edge at its forward and after ends which, in the present instance, is formed with a separable section 33 having a width equal to that of the platform I0 and is rigidly attached to a transverse tube 34 which is carried in bearings 35, attached to the structures on under side of the deck, for vertical swinging movement between its normal inclined position and a substantially horizontal position in which it bridges the space between the platform [0 when raised and the flight deck 23, as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 1. The section. 33 is actuated by means of asegmental rack 36 fixed thereto for engagement with gears 31 fixed to the vertical portions 20 of the support l9 so as to rotate therewith when the platform I0 is raised and lowered. The gear ratio between the gear 31 and rack 36 is such that the section 33 will swing upwardly in unison with the platform It] and will reach its bridging position when the platform reaches the limit of its upward travel. or lower the platform in transferring an airplane betweenthe hangar deck and the flight deck, the motor 30 is energized so as to cause the carriage 21 to traverse the track 29 and move the parts between. the positions shown in full and broken lines in Fig. l, the platform l0 being at all times maintained substantially horizontal by the parallel link construction.

In Figs. 4 to 7 there is shown another form of the invention in which a platform 38 and tail skid support or extension 39 are rigidly mounted on a horizontally extending tubular shaft or beam 40 which is journalled near its ends in bearings 41 provided on the lower ends of vertical arms 42. The upper ends of arms 42 are rigidly secured to a horizontally extending tubular rock shaft 43 which isrotatably mounted in bearings 44 provided on a girder 45 extending between columns 46 which support the flight deck. The platform 38 and extension 39 are maintained hQrlZontal in all positions in their path of travel by means of links 41 disposed parallel to the arms 42 and which are pivotally mounted at their upper ends in bearings 48 mounted on the girder 45 and at their lower ends to lever arms 49 fixed to the ends of the beam 40.

The elevating apparatus is actuated by means of two double acting hydraulic rams, one secured to each of the columns 46 on opposite sides of the apparatus and each comprising an upper cylinder .50 and a lower cylinder 5| in which a common ram 52 is mounted for vertical reciprocation. The ram 52 is provided with a pair of trunnions 53 which are connected by links 54 disposed on opposite sides of the upper cylinder 55 with carriages 55 mounted for vertical sliding movement in ways 56 fixed to the column 46. The carriages- 56 are connected by links 51 with lever arms 58 fixed to the ends of the shaft 43. When it is desired to raise the elevating device fluid under pressure is forced by a pump 59 driven by a motor 60 through pipes 6| into the upper ends of the cylinders 50 so as to force the rams 52 downwardly and swing the parts from the full line position to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 4. During this movement of the apparatus fluid in the lower ends of the lower cylinders 5| is allowed to escape therefrom through pipes 62 to the opposite side of the pump 59. When the apparatus is lowered the flow of fluid to and from the cylinders is reversed.

It will be noted that by reason of the particular link and lever connections employed, the mechanical advantage increases as the elevator raises and that'when it reaches its uppermost position the levers 58 are disposed at substantially right angles to the links 51 forming a toggle for holding the elevator in its uppermost position until fiuid under pressure isadmitted into the lower cylinder 5|. During the lowering operation the regulated escape of fluid from the upper cylinders 50 will control the rate of movement of the elevator and cushion its descent.

While the actuating mechanism for the elevating apparatus has been shown and described as a rack and gear and hydraulic means, it will be understood that any suitable instrumentality such as a motor driven screw, chain or cable may be employed if desired.

When it is desired to raise' It will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of the invention, and that various other changes in the construction, proportion and arrangement of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the nature and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and/or used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. Elevating apparatus comprising a platform, link means for suspending said platform for swinging movement about a horizontal axis located thereabove, a substantially horizontally disposed track. a rack associated with said track, a carriage mounted on said track, parallel link mechanism connecting said platform with said carriage, a motor on said carriage and gear means driven by said motor and meshing with said rack for moving said carriage along said track to swing said platform about said axis between a lower level and a higher level, said parallel link mechanism maintaining said platform substantially horizontal throughout its travel between said levels.

2. Elevating apparatus comprising a platform, link means for supporting said pl .tform for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, a substantially horizontally disposed track, a carriage mounted on said track, parallel link mechanism connecting said platform with said carriage, means for moving said carriage along said track to swing said platform about said axis between a lower deck and a position horizontally spaced from an upper deck, said parallel link mechanism maintaining said platform substantially horizontal throughout its path of travel, bridging means mounted adjacent to the edge of said upper deck and means for moving said bridging means between an inoperative position-when said platform is lowered and an operative position between said deck and said platform when the latter is raised.

3. Elevating apparatus comprising a platform, link means for supporting said platform for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, a substantially horizontally disposed track, a carriage mounted on said track, parallel link mechanism connecting said platform with said carriage, means for moving said carriage along said track to swing said platform about said axis between a lower deck and a position horizontally spaced from an upper deck, said parallel link mechanism maintaining said platform substantially horizontal throughout its path of travel, bridging means mounted adjacent to the edge of said upper deck and means operable by said link means for moving said bridging means between an inoperative position when said platform is lowered and an operative position between said deck and said platform when the latter is raised.

4. Elevating apparatus comprising a platform, parallel link mechanism for suspending said plat form for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, a substantially vertically disposed guideway, a carriage slidably mounted in said guideway, link means operatively connecting said parallel link mechanism with said carriage, and means for moving said carriage along said guideway to swing said platform about said axis between a lower deck and an upper deck, said parallel link mechanism maintaining said platform substantially horizontal throughout its path of travel.

5. Elevating apparatus comprising a platform, parallel link mechanism for suspending said platform for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, a substantially vertically disposed guideway, a carriage slidably mounted in said guideway, link means operatively connecting said parallel link mechanism with said carriage, and a hydraulic ram for moving said carriage along said guideway to swing said platform about said axis between a lower deck and an upper deck, said parallel link mechanism maintaining said platform substantially horizontal throughout its path of travel.

6. Elevating apparatus comprising a platform, link means for supporting said platform for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, a substantially horizontally disposed track, a carriage mounted on said track, parallel link mechanism connecting said platform with said carriage, means for moving said carriage along said track to swing said platform about said axis between a lower deck and a position horizontally spaced from an upper deck, said parallel link mechanism maintaining said platform substantially horizontal throughout its,path of travel, bridging means mounted adjacent to the edge of said.

upper deck, rack means for moving said bridging means between an inoperative position when said platform is lowered and an operative position between said deck and said platform when the latter is raised, and a gear operable by said link means for actuating said rack means.

7. Elevating apparatus comprising a platform, parallel link mechanism for suspending said platform for swinging movement about a horizontal .axis, a substantially vertically disposed guideway, 

